Please introduce yourself and tell us about your background as a writer.
I am the guitarist, songwriter, and founder of two heavy metal bands: Cauldron Born and Briton Rites. I formed Cauldron Born in 1994. I’ve always liked writing sword-and-sorcery lyrical subject matter. Cauldron Born has a strong cult following, particularly in countries such as Germany and Greece. I write all the lyrics for both bands, and I am known for being a big sword-and-sorcery guy because I was an avid reader of the genre ever since I was a teenager in the 1980s.

Holding a band together all those years was such a struggle early on that I would often entertain thoughts of abandoning music altogether and spending all my time writing fiction. I had been dabbling in writing a bit. In 2014 I was contacted by DMR Books and invited to submit a story for a sword-and-sorcery anthology that was to feature stories by heavy metal musicians. I had a tale titled “All Will Be Righted on Samhain” I had been working on. The story was accepted and published in volume one of Swords of Steel. It is a story featuring the Cauldron Born mascot, Thorn. A lot of readers liked the tale, so I had stories in the next two volumes as well.

The writing experience came at a very good time for me as I had just lost my wife and best friend of twenty-seven years to cancer in the summer of 2014. It was a good catharsis and something I could immerse myself in at the time to help me cope with my wife’s death. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to try a few more markets and sold stories there too. It just snowballed and here I am, still writing fiction.

What are the most prominent influences on your writing? How do you incorporate those influences without being derivative?
I am very much influenced by Robert E. Howard, as well as H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Karl Edward Wagner, David C. Smith, Richard L. Tierney, and many other great S & S authors. In recent years I’ve been reading less sword-and-sorcery for two reasons: 1. I don’t want to copy other writers in the genre. 2. I’ve already read and reread almost all the classics the genre has to offer.

Since 2020, I’ve gotten very involved with recording music again, so I don’t have a lot of time to read, but when I do it is generally some other genre such as horror or science fiction. There has always been a strong horror influence in my writing, and lately I think the cosmic horror elements are even more pronounced. You can definitely see that in my latest tale, “Secrets Only Dragons Know” in the new DMR Books anthology, Die by the Sword. “Secrets Only Dragons Know” sounds like it might be some sort of high fantasy tale, but I assure you it is hard as nails sword-and-sorcery.

With self-publishing easier than ever, there are tons of books being released every day. What makes your work stand out from the crowd? What can readers get out of your work that they can’t from anyone else?
I write with my own voice and don’t worry so much about what other writers are doing. I think writers are expected to conform to certain rules that maybe other artists such as filmmakers and musicians aren’t pressured to follow as much. I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself because I am also a musician. I’ve never tried to fit in to anything. If people like what I write that is great and I appreciate it, but if they don’t, I’m not going to worry about it.

Many authors say marketing is one of their biggest challenges. What tactics have you found to be most effective for getting your name out there?
I had a bit of an advantage for selling my fiction as I had already established my reputation as a musician and a good lyricist. I rely on word of mouth. I think a writer needs to build and maintain a fanbase somehow. I recommend that a writer get as many short stories as possible in the magazines that deal with the genre they work within. When selling any sort of artistic endeavor, the key is to frequently release or publish something.

How much do your audience’s expectations factor into what you write? Does this ever cause you to hold back from experimenting?
No. As I mentioned above, I don’t worry much about it. And those who follow my writing can expect more weirdness in the future.

Have you had any new stories published recently? Are you currently working on any?
Just “Secrets Only Dragons Know” in Die by the Sword. I’ve been working on an Argantyr novel titled Cold Steel for the Necromancer for some time now. In 2022 my band Cauldron Born released an album by the same title. Here is to hoping I finish the book soon. By the way, for those who aren’t familiar with my Argantyr stories, he is a barbarian swordsman who transforms into a werewolf.

Name one newer and one older book you have read and enjoyed recently. (“Newer” meaning from the past year or so, and “older” meaning written before 1980.)
I haven’t read anything new in a long time. I ordered Chuck Dixon’s Conan novel a few days ago. I’m still waiting on it to arrive. It is exciting to see a prominent writer who was involved in The Savage Sword of Conan publish a Conan novel. I was a huge fan of The Savage Sword of Conan as a teenager in the 1980s.

As far as an old book, I recently finished Ramsey’s Campbell’s classic collection of horror tales, Demons by Daylight. I mostly read horror short stories nowadays. I like something I can finish in one sitting, the shorter the better.

Any final words?
Thanks for the opportunity to do this interview, and thanks to all your readers who took the time to read this. Look for a new Cauldron Born album this year!